Theater Review: Civic Duty and 12 Angry Men - Page 2

George Wendt, of "Cheers" fame, plays a normal guy, steady, maybe even just average. He's not the most affluent or well-educated and he's not a guy who displays obvious prejudices. While all of the actors have fine resonant voices, as Juror Nine, Alan Mandell as a feeble old man, has a scratchy, thin voice that while irritating, is perfectly in character. Costume designer Michael Krass aptly sketches out each man's character by his clothing although it becomes abundantly clear that clothes may make the man, but it doesn't predict the actual maturity and sophistication of the wearer.

Jury duty is potluck. You can't choose your fellow jurors. Happenstance and two attorneys you've never met get to do that. This isn't like high school or work where you can choose whom you sit with at lunch or on break. Perhaps this is also something that people won't admit makes them dread jury duty--the possibility of dealing with people outside one's comfort zone.

Besides reminding us all of the importance of our civic duties and our own class and racial prejudices, Rose's play clearly emphasizes the power of one. While we believe in democracy, sometimes it takes one good person to lead a group toward the right action. This production which runs until May 6, presented by the NYC Roundabout Theatre Company, is powerful and well worth seeing.

Article Author: Purple Tigress

Former theater critic for the LA Weekly and Los Angeles Times . For the last five years, an editing slave at a dot-com but recently laid off. Currently an under-employed freelance writer and artist.

Visit Purple Tigress's author page — Purple Tigress's Blog